The bicyclic compound, 6-azaindole (CA Registry No. 271-29-4), also known as 1,6-diazaindene, and harmyrine forms the nucleus of the compounds of this invention.
Therapeutic agents for specifically reducing the production of thromboxane A.sub.2 (TXA.sub.2) are useful for treatment of conditions such as renal disease, (e.g., hydronephrosis, transplant rejection, and renal nephritis) pulmonary disease, (e.g., asthma, and pulmonary hypertension), prevention and treatment of hepatic and intestinal damage, cardiovascular diseases (e.g., arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, hypertension, and shock) or resulting from surgical procedures such as angioplasty and coronary bypass surgery. Aspirin has utility as a nonspecific indirect inhibitor of thromboxane synthesis; however, it is desirable to discover new compounds having more potent and specific thromboxane synthase inhibition (TSI) properties than aspirin.